The Common Good
by hatericeviolence
Summary: Patroclus visits the goddess of revenge and balance to find out his fate.


Commune Bonum

The Common Good

Troy

Garrett Hedlund

hatericeviolence

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TROY OR ANY GREEK MYTHS.

01. Cave quid dices {Beware what you say}

"Once again, you call of me?"

Patroclus turned around and looked over to the Goddess of revenge and balance. "Adrestia, I seek your guidance."

Adrestia stepped forward towards the young Greek soldier with solitude on her face. "With?"

"Achilles, he will not let me fight. Convince him."

Adrestia looked onto him as she sat down on the throne for the God of the sun, Apollo. "I need not convince him. It is up to you, not me."

"Then tell me what my future holds if it is not to fight along side him." Patroclus stepped forward towards her. His eyes grew heavy as he looked upon her.

She glanced up towards him and entranced him gently with her eyes of young ivy. "The future holds much for you. You know better than to question the Gods' plans for you."

"Adrestia, this is not a time for games. I demand an answer." Patroclus took a defensive stance and placed his hand upon the hilt of his blade.

The goddess smiled and flipped the long dark brown curls that bloomed from her head. "Patroclus, I would rather not harm you-"

"Then answer me!"

Adrestia stood and walked over to him and removed his hand from his sword. "Do not dare threaten a god, boy."

Patroclus quickly reached over and put his hand on the Goddess's throat. "I am not a boy." He forcefully pushed her back by her throat, let go, and turned away. "Why won't you just tell me?"

Adrestia regained herself and exhaled roughly. "Why must you be like this? You come to the gods asking for your needs when you have desiccated our temples. You have gone against our will. How dare you expect us to do as you please. You," she said as she walked to him and pushed him to the ground, "should be bowing down before me and begging forgiveness."

"I will not beg!" Patroclus tried to stand but couldn't move. "What treachery is this?"

"I told you, you should be begging." Adrestia turned and walked back to the throne. "Patroclus, I must admit, I admire your courage but that courage is not your own. Achilles is a plague to you. The longer you are with him, the shorter your life will be. You were meant to be a king but Achilles is holding you from that. One day, he will meet his fate. Hades will enjoy him-"

"You speak lies! He is my cousin! He is not a plague!"

"You asked for the truth-I'm only giving it to you. Get up. You're beginning to tire me." She sat down and grabbed hold of the near by olive branch. Patroclus slowly stood up and kept his eyes upon her. "I will not hurt you. You should learn to trust in your gods-"

"You are not my god."

Adrestia picked a single olive off of the branch and threw it at him. "Do not anger me. It will be the last thing you do."

"HA! I'd love to see the day you kill me! Go on! Show me your strength! Kill me!" Patroclus rushed quickly towards the throne and kneeled down. He knew she would do nothing but yet he tried. He was not going to stand let her throw empty threats without making a stand.

"Patroclus, you know I can't. Your death will not be on my hands. You will die at the hands of a Prince; and I, I am not a Prince." She put her hand on the stone seat next to her. Patroclus slowly rose and sat down beside her.

"Tell me what is to become of me. Why are you against Achilles?"

"If Achilles had left you alone, you wouldn't die in the coming days."

"Soon? I'm supposed to die soon? How?"

Adrestia turned her head towards him and put her left hand on his cheek. "I want you to change your mind. Whatever you think is right, is wrong. Do not do the things you want to do. Fight your want to kill. It will be your undoing and you will lead your people to death."

"How?"

"Achilles is your weakness. Your want to prove to him that you can kill will lead many to their death. It will lead you to your death. Do not bare any armor other than your own. Do you understand?"

He shook his head and placed his hand upon hers. "No, Achilles is not my weakness-"

"Patroclus, do you not hear me? I am a god. I have no reason to lie to you about your fate."

"What fate is that if I am to believe Achilles will be my death?"

"Patroclus, promise me that you will not bare the gear that is not your own and that you will deny the temptation to listen to your need to kill. I do not want you to die young."

He closed his eyes and moved her hand down. "Adrestia, you knew me before any of this happened. You know me well."

"And I fear for you because of that." He smiled gently. "I know what you will do but I do not want it."

"Then fight along side me."

"I can't…but, I know Apollo will not be happy with you and he will make you pay for it." She looked down away from him. "The gods are angry at Achilles and their anger grows with every life he takes. Hades is the only one thriving in these times. There is no room left in the Underworld."

"Then why should I fear death?"

"You shouldn't fear death. You should fear Hades. He follows you, he follows Achilles. They say that Achilles made a pact with Hades. For every soul Achilles gives Hades, Achilles will grow stronger. You wonder why he hasn't been beaten? It's because death looks to him to solve problems and to create them." She glanced up again towards him. Fear was ruling his eyes. "You must stop angering the gods. I am the only one on your side. You have angered many gods by staying with your cousin. You need to fight the temptation-"

"The only temptation I should ever find myself fighting will have nothing to do with Achilles or the said curse that is upon me." He moved quickly and picked up the Goddess's chin. "You already know this, though."

She closed her eyes. "And you know that can't be."

"But why not? It's been done before. Zeus himself breaks the rules."

"But he is Zeus. He made the rules."

"Then why would he enforce this one when it's his favorite one to break?"

She shook her head then opened her eyes. "No, I will not continue to break the rules. I already told you what lies before you. I am not part of that-"

"And you told me to do the opposite of what you told me."

"I did not say this. I said-"

"I know what you said. And I know that I do not care-"

"You're foolish-"

"Maybe I am…but I always have been, if that is the case." He smiled. "It'll lead me to my undoing."

"Do not make a joke out of your life-"

"I don't. I'll take my fate with open arms if you allow me. The love of the gods is deeper than any love anyone will ever encounter."

"The gods do not love you. They pity your mortality."

"Then let them. I can only pray that I am to bare an heir before my mortality becomes an issue."

Adrestia looked upon his face. Of all of the followers she had, he was the only one who truly seemed to understand what she stood for. He was foolish and young but came from a troubled times and prevailed through them. That strength shown in his eyes. "I can't answer you yes or no for that is uncertain. Your mortality, though, is always an issue."

"Does Aphrodite approve?"

"Why don't you call upon her and ask?"

His eyes softened as he stared into hers. "Because I fear of falling ill with the love she admits. I fear forgetting what I love so dearly."

"And that is?"

"You." He pulled her closer to him and kissed her softly. "Maybe you can't see what will become because you're involved."

She shook her head while holding onto the sides of his face. "No, I can't see what will become of me. But I know, you are set to die and set to die alone."

"No."

"Yes, Helen of Troy will leave her husband soon with a Trojan. She will start the war and you will leave with Achilles. There is no stopping that."

"It is a war I will not fight."

"Do not lie. You will fight and you will die. I would not change it if I could."

He lowered his hands down onto her torso. "Would you fight Hades to retrieve me?"

"I do not know," she said dropping her hands and counting the tiles in the floor.

"It's not a matter of knowing the future, Adrestia. Would you fight Hades to retrieve me?" His eyes burned into her, searching her for an answer.

She glanced at him and then to the floor of the temple. "And risk my immortality to be a moral with no guarantee that Hades will release you?"

Patroclus stepped back and shook his head with a smirk. He expected her to say no but it was a matter of finding out the truth and this…this wasn't the truth he wanted her to say. "You will be mistaken. I will fight with Achilles until my dying day. He is no plague upon me."

"Patroclus, you know that to be false. You know that he is going to be your undoing."

"Then let my undoing come. I would never leave a brethren in need. We will avenge those who need to be avenged."

"No, no, you fight a pointless battle for the bloodshed. Your blood will be shed. Achilles' blood will be shed. You will be the one to lead them all to die."

He shook his head again. "I will be no one's death. If this Trojan war is to begin, then let it begin. I lust for the battle."

Adrestia stood there for a moment as Patroclus walked out of the temple. Anger rose inside her more quickly than she had expected. After years of his worship, he walked away in the name of vengeance but she knew that he was aware that there was no reason for his battles to begin and no reason for him to avenge anything. "Hades will enjoy you, Patroclus!"

He stood at the entrance way of the temple with his back towards him, "Then let him because I will not be alone for I will drag these Trojans with me.


End file.
